Michigan: Trucking school 'encouraged' illegal documentation

By Charlie Morasch, Land Line contributing writer | Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Authorities in Michigan have shut down a Detroit truck driving school for encouraging students to apply for CDLs with fake documents.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 15, Great Truckers Driving School can no longer provide driving instruction in Michigan.

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said in a press release she revoked the school’s certificate and fined it $34,000.

The school was operated by Sukhjit Sandhu and Rajinder Sandhu. Johnson’s press release said the school provided students with fake lease agreements that listed addresses of vacant buildings or unknowing residents’ homes. Those fake leases were used by students to show they complied with state law and lived in Michigan when they applied for a CDL.

“Providing false information when obtaining a driver’s license or state ID card is a significant violation and we will hold those responsible to account,” Johnson said, according to the release. “We take our responsibility to protect the integrity of ID documents very seriously.”

Rajinder Sandhu was fined an additional $13,000 and his driving instructor certificate was also revoked. More than 85 CDLs and CDL temporary instruction permits obtained with false information through Great Truckers Driving School have been cancelled.

Johnson credited the Detroit branch office staff that first discovered the CDL fraud and reported it.

“Because of them, we were able to investigate this matter, take appropriate action and refer the matter to law enforcement authorities,” Johnson said, according to the news release.